Bogue Chitto National Wildlife Refuge

About Bogue Chitto National Wildlife Refuge

Bogue Chitto National Wildlife Refuge, established in 1980, straddles the borders of Louisiana and Mississippi, bisected by the Pearl River. The refuge conserves bottomland hardwood forest habitat, which has significantly diminished in the Mississippi River Delta over the last century. The refuge provides habitat for species of concern such as the Gulf sturgeon, gopher tortoise, ringed sawback turtle, and swallow-tailed kite. Bogue Chitto National Wildlife Refuge is bounded to the northeast by Mississippi’s Old River Wildlife Management Area and by Louisiana’s Pearl River Wildlife Management Area to the southwest. This creates a large area of conserved forested wetlands and adjacent uplands within the Pearl River Basin. The refuge’s bottomland forests of sweetgum-water oak stands are interspersed with bald cypress-tupelo breaks and overcup oak-water hickory stands. The refuge has 860 upland acres of loblolly and slash pine forest, which provides habitat for the threatened gopher tortoise. The refuge is on the ancestral lands of the Acolapissa whose descendants are present in Louisiana and Mississippi today.

How to Get There

Bogue Chitto NWR is located about 45 miles north of New Orleans, LA. From the Louisiana Side: To reach the southern tip of the refuge, take I-59 to Pearl River Turnaround Exit 11. Heading east from this exit takes you to a fishing area, turning west will take you toward the Holmes Bayou Trail. NOTE: as of July, 2013, the maintenance of the Holmes Bayou trail will be suspended indefinitely due to lack of funds. The Refuge can also be accessed from Locks 1, 2, & 3 by taking Highway 41 north of Slidell. From the Mississippi Side: To reach the furthermost East side of the Refuge, take I-59 North to Picayune, MS. Take HWY 43 to Walkiah Bluff Water Park or to Dumas Wise Road to access the Refuge.

Plan Your Visit to Bogue Chitto National Wildlife Refuge

Heading to Bogue Chitto National Wildlife Refuge? A few things to know before you go:

• Reservations: popular sites fill up fast — check Recreation.gov 6 months in advance
• Fees: day-use and camping fees vary; check current rates on the official park page
• Trash & pack-out: follow Leave No Trace principles
• Wildlife: store food in bear boxes where provided; never feed wildlife
• Weather: the 5-day forecast above is updated every 6 hours; verify just before you go

References & Official Resources

• Official Recreation.gov page
• View on OpenStreetMap
• Driving directions (Google Maps)